Judge bars Trump from denying federal funds to 'sanctuary' cities that limit immigration cooperation 鈥� Janie Hair, Associated Press
A federal judge in California on Thursday barred the Trump administration from denying or conditioning the use of federal funds to "sanctuary" jurisdictions, saying that portions of President Donald Trump's executive orders were unconstitutional.
U.S. District Judge William Orrick issued the injunction sought by San Francisco and more than a dozen other municipalities that limit cooperation with federal immigration efforts.
Orrick wrote that defendants are prohibited "from directly or indirectly taking any action to withhold, freeze, or condition federal funds" and the administration must provide written notice of his order to all federal departments and agencies by Monday.
One executive order issued by Trump directs Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to withhold federal money from sanctuary jurisdictions. The second order directs every federal agency to ensure that payments to state and local governments do not "abet so-called 'sanctuary' policies that seek to shield illegal aliens from deportation."
At a hearing Wednesday, Justice Department lawyers argued that it was much too early for the judge to grant an injunction when the government had not taken any action to withhold specific amounts or to lay out conditions on specific grants.
But Orrick, who was nominated by President Barack Obama, said this was essentially what government lawyers argued during Trump's first term when the Republican issued a similar order.
"Their well-founded fear of enforcement is even stronger than it was in 2017," Orrick wrote, citing the executive orders as well as directives from Bondi, other federal agencies and Justice Department lawsuits filed against Chicago and New York.
San Francisco successfully challenged the 2017 Trump order and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with the lower court that the president exceeded his authority when he signed an executive order threatening to cut funding for "sanctuary cities."
Plaintiffs were pleased with the judge's order.
"At a time when we continue to see tremendous federal overreach, the Court's ruling affirms that local governments can serve their mission and maintain trust with the communities they care for," said Tony LoPresti, counsel for Santa Clara County, in a statement.
It's unclear if federal agencies will abide by the order. On Thursday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy issued a reminder to recipients of federal transportation funding that they are expected to follow federal law, including on immigration enforcement, or face potential consequences.
The department did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
There is no strict definition for sanctuary policies or sanctuary cities, but the terms generally describe limited cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE enforces immigration laws nationwide but seeks state and local help in alerting federal authorities of immigrants wanted for deportation and holding that person until federal officers take custody.
Leaders of sanctuary jurisdictions say their communities are safer because immigrants feel they can communicate with local police without fear of deportation. It is also a way for municipalities to focus their dollars on crime locally, they say.
Besides San Francisco and Santa Clara County, which includes a third plaintiff, the city of San Jos茅, there are 13 other plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which include Seattle and King County, Washington; Portland, Oregon; Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota; New Haven, Connecticut; and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
New Mexico Tech doctoral student challenges Homeland Security鈥檚 termination of his student status 鈥�
A graduate student from the Republic of Ghana studying in central New Mexico says the U.S. government鈥檚 termination of his student status violates federal law and his constitutional right to due process.
The doctoral student and research assistant, identified only as K.O.D. in court records, moved to Socorro in August 2023, where he has been studying petrochemical engineering at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, according to court records. He received his bachelor鈥檚 degree at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in his home country and his master鈥檚 at the Politecnico di Torino in Italy, his attorneys wrote.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on April 9 abruptly terminated the student鈥檚 status in the Student and Exchange Visitor (SEVIS) system, court records state. This means he faces potential immigration detention and deportation, his attorneys wrote.
鈥淟osing my F-1 status puts my education, research, and career trajectory at risk, and I fear being forced to leave the country before I can complete by Ph.D. program,鈥� the student wrote in a sworn statement included in court records. 鈥淭his sudden disruption has made me feel vulnerable and anxious, not only about my immediate situation but also about the stability and direction of my life in the years to come.鈥�
The student is represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico and Shayne Huffman, an Albuquerque-based civil rights attorney, who on Wednesday filed a for a temporary restraining order and a for declaratory and injunctive relief in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico.
Both filings name Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement acting director Todd Lyons as defendants.
The motion for a temporary restraining order asks the court to block Noem and Lyons from terminating the student鈥檚 F-1 student status under the Student and Exchange Visitor (SEVIS) system.
鈥淎t the most elemental level, the United States Constitution requires notice and a meaningful opportunity to be heard,鈥� his attorneys wrote. 鈥淣o such process was provided here with respect to the termination of student status.鈥�
Huffman told Source NM the government hasn鈥檛 put forward any evidence to justify terminating his client鈥檚 student status.
鈥淲e believe that there can be no more egregious violation of someone鈥檚 due process than what has happened to our client, and for the other students that this has happened to as well,鈥� Huffman said.
As of Thursday, the U.S. government has changed the legal status of more than 1,800 international students at more than 280 colleges and universities, including at least 10 in New Mexico, to Inside Higher Ed.
DHS didn鈥檛 notify the New Mexico Tech student or his school, his attorneys wrote. He learned about the agency鈥檚 action against him when the school鈥檚 international programs coordinator informed him that they had discovered his student status had been terminated.
The reason given on the record of termination was 鈥淥THER 鈥� Individual identified in criminal records check and/or has had their VISA revoked,鈥� according to a copy included in the restraining order motion.
However, the student has no criminal record, 鈥渨ithout even minor infractions such as a traffic or parking violation,鈥� has shown no violence in the U.S. or elsewhere and hasn鈥檛 participated in any protest either in-person or online, his attorneys wrote. Huffman said he has never faced any disciplinary action from the school whatsoever.
鈥淚t鈥檚 entirely unclear to us as to why he was targeted,鈥� Huffman said.
Source NM left a voicemail for a New Mexico Tech spokesperson, and we will update this story as necessary.
DHS has effectively disenrolled the student from his Ph.D. program and he can no longer work as a research assistant, which puts him in financial jeopardy because his financial aid, which is contingent on participation in the Ph.D. program, has been suspended, Huffman and ACLU-NM Senior Staff Attorney Becca Sheff wrote.
The status termination also prevents him from making progress in his doctoral program and obtaining his Ph.D., his attorneys wrote.
Twelve days after the student learned about DHS鈥� action, the school gave him a notice of 鈥淕raduate Contract Change or Cancellation,鈥� saying his graduate contract was being terminated due to 鈥渋mmigration status currently revoked鈥� by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
His attorneys wrote he likely accrues unlawful presence in the U.S. each day, which threatens his chance of reinstating his F-1 student status in the future.
The student is not challenging the revocation of his F-1 visa but, rather, is challenging DHS鈥檚 unlawful termination of his F-1 student status in the SEVIS system, his attorneys wrote. An F-1 student visa refers only to the document an immigrant student receives to enter the U.S., while F-1 student status refers to students鈥� formal immigration classification in the U.S. once they enter the country, they wrote.
The student lawfully obtained a visitor visa to attend a petroleum engineers鈥� conference in the U.S. in 2016 but customs officials didn鈥檛 let him in for five years.
鈥淛ust as the 2016 denial did not prevent Plaintiff from lawfully obtaining an F-1 visa in 2023, it cannot now serve as a legitimate basis for terminating his current status,鈥� his attorneys wrote.
The student鈥檚 research is his passion and he has dedicated his entire life for the last two years to it, Huffman said, having authored or co-authored at least half a dozen publications and traveled the country to present at academic conferences.
鈥淲e鈥檙e a state that鈥檚 so reliant on energy, and he鈥檚 pushing forward the research in an area that directly impacts the state,鈥� Huffman said.
Huffman said there are other Ghanaian students at New Mexico Tech. The school in October 2023 with the student鈥檚 former school in Ghana to strengthen their petroleum engineering programs.
鈥淲ith all the students that this is happening to, international students ultimately are a net positive for this country,鈥� Huffman said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e here to contribute in meaningful ways. They鈥檙e here to push research forward in the sciences or any other field. Our country and our state are better off with these international students here making their contributions.鈥�
A dozen states sue the Trump administration to stop tariff policy 鈥� Larry Neumeister, Associated Press
A dozen states sued the Trump administration in the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York on Wednesday to stop its tariff policy, saying it is unlawful and has brought chaos to the American economy.
The lawsuit said the policy put in place by President Donald Trump has been subject to his "whims rather than the sound exercise of lawful authority."
It challenged Trump's claim that he could arbitrarily impose tariffs based on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The suit asks the court to declare the tariffs to be illegal, and to block government agencies and its officers from enforcing them.
A message sent to the Justice Department for comment was not immediately returned.
The states listed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit were Oregon, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York and Vermont.
In a release, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes called Trump's tariff scheme "insane."
She said it was "not only economically reckless 鈥� it is illegal."
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said "Trump's lawless and chaotic tariffs are a massive tax on Connecticut families and a disaster for Connecticut businesses and jobs."
The lawsuit maintained that only Congress has the power to impose tariffs and that the president can only invoke the International Emergency Economic Powers Act when an emergency presents an "unusual and extraordinary threat" from abroad.
"By claiming the authority to impose immense and ever-changing tariffs on whatever goods entering the United States he chooses, for whatever reason he finds convenient to declare an emergency, the President has upended the constitutional order and brought chaos to the American economy," the lawsuit said.
Last week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, sued the Trump administration in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California over the tariff policy, saying his state could lose billions of dollars in revenue as the largest importer in the country.
White House spokesperson Kush Desai responded to Newsom's lawsuit, saying the Trump administration "remains committed to addressing this national emergency that's decimating America's industries and leaving our workers behind with every tool at our disposal, from tariffs to negotiations."
___
Associated Press Writer Susan Haigh in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report.
April showers bring cross-country dust instead of flowers to New England via 'dirty rain' 鈥� Holly Ramer, Associated Press
No, New England, that wasn't a new strain of spring pollen coating your cars. It was dust carried across the country in a phenomenon known as "dirty rain."
April showers are supposed to bring May flowers, but the light rain that fell across the region last Friday and Saturday brought dirt instead. Christian Bridges, a meteorologist with WGME-TV in Portland, Maine, was as perplexed as anyone until he checked the satellite imagery.
"You could see that dust got picked up in New Mexico two days before on Thursday by the same storm system," he said. "It then brought it up into the far northern part of the U.S. and then eventually brought it all the way to New England."
Strong wind brought the dust to an altitude of around 10,000 feet (3,000 meters), he said, below the level of rain clouds.
"So the rain kind of grabbed the dust as it was falling and brought it down to the ground," Bridges said. "It's kind of cool to think it was transported 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) across the country."
Parts of Wisconsin, Michigan and the northern Great Lakes region also reported "dirty rain" or "mud rain" before it hit Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Bridges said such rain is unusual but not unprecedented and is similar to the way smoke from Western wildfires makes it way east.
A dozen states sue the Trump administration to stop tariff policy - By Larry Neumeister, Associated Press
A dozen states 鈥� including New Mexico 鈥� sued the Trump administration in the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York on Wednesday to stop its tariff policy, saying it is unlawful and has brought chaos to the American economy.
The lawsuit said the policy put in place by President Donald Trump has been subject to his "whims rather than the sound exercise of lawful authority."
It challenged Trump's claim that he could arbitrarily impose tariffs based on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The suit asks the court to declare the tariffs to be illegal, and to block government agencies and its officers from enforcing them.
A message sent to the Justice Department for comment was not immediately returned.
The states listed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit were Oregon, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York and Vermont.
In a release, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes called Trump's tariff scheme "insane."
She said it was "not only economically reckless 鈥� it is illegal."
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said "Trump's lawless and chaotic tariffs are a massive tax on Connecticut families and a disaster for Connecticut businesses and jobs."
The lawsuit maintained that only Congress has the power to impose tariffs and that the president can only invoke the International Emergency Economic Powers Act when an emergency presents an "unusual and extraordinary threat" from abroad.
"By claiming the authority to impose immense and ever-changing tariffs on whatever goods entering the United States he chooses, for whatever reason he finds convenient to declare an emergency, the President has upended the constitutional order and brought chaos to the American economy," the lawsuit said.
Last week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, sued the Trump administration in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California over the tariff policy, saying his state could lose billions of dollars in revenue as the largest importer in the country.
White House spokesperson Kush Desai responded to Newsom's lawsuit, saying the Trump administration "remains committed to addressing this national emergency that's decimating America's industries and leaving our workers behind with every tool at our disposal, from tariffs to negotiations."
___
Associated Press Writer Susan Haigh in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report.
State Police: Rio Arriba sheriff was in 'minor crash' hours before death -
Rio Arriba County Sheriff Billy Merrifield was involved in a crash early Sunday morning, hours before he was found unresponsive inside the same vehicle at his home.
New Mexico State Police on Wednesday released details about the final hours of 50-year-old Merrifield, who had served as sheriff of the northern New Mexico county since 2021.
State Police spokesperson Wilson Silver said in a news release that the agency is investigating "the possibility of the sheriff being under the influence of an intoxicating liquor or drug."
A friend of Merrifield's told State Police that a woman called him around 3 a.m. Sunday and said she was with Merrifield while he was off duty, and they got into a "minor crash" in his patrol vehicle, Silver said.
The friend told police that he found Merrifield's vehicle about a half-mile from his Abiqui煤 home, Silver said. The friend said Merrifield told him he was OK.
"The patrol vehicle and Sheriff Merrifield were taken back to his residence," Silver said, and "Sheriff Merrifield鈥檚 friend and the woman left the residence, leaving Sheriff Merrifield in his patrol vehicle."
Around 10 a.m., the friend tried calling Merrifield several times before going to his home to check on him, Silver said.
"He found Sheriff Merrifield unresponsive in his patrol unit," the spokesman said. The friend and first responders attempted lifesaving efforts, but Merrifield was pronounced dead at the scene.
Silver said investigators are working to corroborate the account. Meanwhile, an autopsy was performed on Monday and results are pending.
Former Las Cruces mayor 鈥榚xploring鈥� Democratic bid for governor 鈥�
Ken Miyagishima, the former mayor of Las Cruces, over the weekend filed with the Secretary of State鈥檚 office for the Democratic primary campaign for New Mexico governor, but would not officially announce his candidacy.
鈥淚鈥檓 technically exploring, but ever so close,鈥� he told Source NM Wednesday. 鈥淲e鈥檙e working on various things, the narrative of the entire campaign,鈥� he said.
Miyagishima, an insurance agent and the mayor of Las Cruces between 2007 to 2023, also held two terms on both the Las Cruces City Council and the Do帽a Ana County Commission.
On his , Miyagishima said some of his policy positions would include: having the state build and sell homes at cost to 鈥減olice, fire and correctional officers as well as teachers and eligible Native Americans.鈥�
Miyagishima said he would also want to establish a new police force using retired officers to 鈥渁ssist larger cities with local policing.鈥� Another crime policy, he said, would be having state government pay the federal government to house any person convicted of a crime resulting in the death of a police officer, firefighter or correctional officer.
鈥淚 believe the perpetrator should serve a mandatory life sentence at the SUPERMAX facility in Colorado,鈥� his website says.
So far, the June 2, 2026 Democratic primary for governor has two official candidates: Former Interior Secretary and Congresswoman and Bernalillo County district attorney . Current Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham cannot run for reelection due to term limits.
There is only one Republican candidate announced so far, Rio Rancho mayor .
Miyagishima reported no expenditures or his donations in the campaign account, telling Source NM that he planned to make contributions soon.
鈥淭his will all be new money, I鈥檒l probably be lending myself a good chunk,鈥� he said. According to the most , Hull raised nearly $210,000; Bregman reported just over $632,000 and Haaland has raised more than $2.8 million.
UNM Hospital cuts dozens of jobs in response to federal funding cuts, financial woes 鈥�
The University of New Mexico Hospital has cut 53 positions as the state鈥檚 largest public health system faces deepening financial pressures and federal funding cuts.
A spokesperson for UNMH confirmed the numbers in a statement on Monday. The spokesperson said that some, but not all, of the positions were vacant and emphasized that the eliminated positions were executive positions, not roles like floor nurses and others who provide patient care.
鈥淏y taking these steps now, UNM Hospital is positioning itself to balance its current and future budgets. UNM Hospital remains committed to what is most important 鈥� providing health care for New Mexicans, in New Mexico,鈥� Chris Ramirez, communication director for the hospital system, told the Journal.
The move comes amid a continued shortage of health care providers and workers in New Mexico, as well as a proposed reduction in federal funding for health care under the Trump administration.
鈥淚n order to be sure we are operating as efficiently as possible, and are as prepared as possible for federal funding changes which may lie ahead, we have implemented a number of financial improvement initiatives,鈥� Ramirez said.
UNMH is also reviewing 鈥渃ontract expenses, including contract labor,鈥� and 鈥渨orkflows to maximize efficiency and reduce operational expenses,鈥� according to Ramirez.
Ramirez did not provide a breakdown of how many people were terminated and how many vacant positions were eliminated, but said the cuts were spread across the hospital system鈥檚 many units, including the hospital, Health Sciences Center and the Sandoval Regional Medical Center.
UNM folded in SRMC to its UNMH system in 2024. The move brought the Rio Rancho hospital into the system following approval from the UNM Board of Regents in 2023. At the time, UNMH officials said there would be no cuts to roles or salaries. But an internal email provided to the Journal showed that SRMC was hit particularly hard by the cuts.
The email shows that SMRC will lose its president, Jamie Silva-Steele, as well as its chief financial officer, chief human resources officer, executive director of support services, director of food and nutrition services and director of talent acquisition.
Those positions were under contract until June and will not be renewed.
The same email showed that four vacant director positions 鈥� including emergency services, case management, pharmacy, and quality 鈥� as well as the manager of surgical services were eliminated.
Yolanda Ulmer, the chief executive officer of the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees, confirmed to the Journal that no union employees were laid off. She also lauded UNMH for cutting management, not workers.
However, Ulmer said that bonuses for picking up extra shifts were paused to avoid cuts to the membership. She emphasized that the bonus suspension was temporary.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 get rid of it. We put it on hold temporarily, but they鈥檙e still offering overtime work if needed to fill in the gaps,鈥� Ulmer said.
Ulmer noted that contract negotiations are set for mid-May. The management contraction casts a cloud over the future.
鈥淲e all have to work collaboratively together and make sure that we organize around this situation that UNMH is facing,鈥� Ulmer said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got to make sure that our bargaining unit is well taken care of, and that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e going to do.鈥�
In the statement, Ramirez stressed that UNMH, which also receives funding from state and local governments, has been burdened by the same financial troubles that all hospitals have faced following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A 2023 National Institutes of Health analysis found that hospitals nationwide lost $200 billion after a 45% decrease in revenue between March 1 and June 30, 2020. The analysis blamed the decline on the high cost of caring for COVID patients and a simultaneous explosion in labor costs.
According to testimony given to legislators by the New Mexico Hospital Association in 2024, two-thirds of New Mexico鈥檚 hospitals had higher expenses than revenue during that same year.
鈥淲e are grateful for the county, state and federal financial support we have received, and we are committed to being good stewards of those resources,鈥� Ramirez said, adding, 鈥淥ur mission of service to New Mexico means that we must deliver high-quality patient care in a financially sustainable model.鈥�
NM Gov鈥檚 Office of Housing moving to state workforce agency 鈥�
A small team of state employees focused on solving New Mexico鈥檚 housing crisis will move from the governor鈥檚 office to the state鈥檚 workforce agency, a temporary move while the informal office seeks a permanent home.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has sought statutory authority for a state Office of Housing from the New Mexico Legislature for the last two years, but legislation doing so failed in both sessions. Legislation would have empowered the four-person team to create a statewide strategy to solve the housing shortage and attached it administratively to the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration, which received more than $100 million this legislative session to spend on housing and homelessness.
In a news release Monday, the governor鈥檚 office said the move to the Department of Workforce Solutions will create a strong connection between job creation and housing, plus allow for more accountability after the state鈥檚 significant investment in solving the housing crisis here.
鈥淭his move will ensure that the Office of Housing has the resources it needs to put these dollars to use solving our state鈥檚 housing shortage as we continue pursuing legislation to make the state鈥檚 housing and homelessness initiatives permanent,鈥� Lujan Grisham said in a statement.
The move comes a few weeks after the governor fired Daniel Werwath, her senior housing policy adviser tasked with, among other things, convincing lawmakers to approve a state Housing Office. Werwath that he tried to achieve 鈥渟ome systemic change around housing, which apparently there鈥檚 less appetite for than I had hoped.鈥�
The state lacks , according to recent estimates. Employers in Albuquerque, where lawmakers hope the majority of will occur, added 31,000 jobs in the last three years, but city developers added only 9,000 new housing units in that period, according to a from Pew Charitable Trusts.
In the coming months, Workforce Solutions Secretary Sarita Nair will come up with a recommendation for the office鈥檚 permanent home, governor鈥檚 spokesperson Michael Coleman told Source New Mexico.
鈥淚t could remain at DWS, move to another agency, or stand alone. There is no firm deadline for the recommendation. The governor is confident that DWS is the right place for the Office of Housing at this time,鈥� Coleman said in an email Tuesday.
Nair, in the news release, said one of the state workforce鈥檚 biggest challenges is finding affordable housing. Merging the housing office and the workforce agency will enable 鈥渟trong collaboration and accountability,鈥� she said.
Albuquerque City Council sends $9 million to mixed-use, senior housing 鈥�
The Albuquerque City Council allocated $9 million to two affordable housing projects that aim to increase the supply of homes in the city.
During a meeting on Monday, councilors unanimously approved giving money to Sol Housing to help finance the Farolito Senior Community and Somos, both on East Central.
鈥淭his is the last bit of financing we need,鈥� Felipe Rael, executive director of Sol Housing, said during the meeting.
According to a 2021 analysis, Albuquerque is short of meeting the demand for housing by about 13,000 to 28,000 units. When the supply is short, the cost of housing increases, sending more people into homelessness, as shown in peer-reviewed research.
The cost of building homes has increased dramatically in the last half-decade, according to the mayor's office. The National Association of Home Builders 鈥� a national trade association representing the interests of home builders, developers and contractors 鈥� estimates that inputs like building materials and labor costs increased by 30% from 2021 to 2024.
Vulnerable groups with less money, such as seniors on fixed incomes, are most affected by a lack of affordable housing.
The two projects the council supported are meant to help alleviate the issue.
The Farolito Senior Community will be in the East Gateway Neighborhood, near Central and Eubank. Documents presented to the council show that the community will create 82 affordable units for seniors.
Located near Central and Louisiana in the city-owned lot that used to house Bruce Spruce Cocktail Lounge & Package Liquors, the Somos project will create 70 mixed-use and mixed-income housing units, according to documents presented to the council. The records show that 59 of the 70 will be affordable units with space for commercial enterprises.
Both projects are expected to be completed in mid-to-late 2026.